


Clean Slate

by morosophe



Category: Daredevil (TV)
Genre: Angst, Gen, Stream of Consciousness
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-16
Updated: 2015-07-16
Packaged: 2018-04-09 15:29:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 504
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4354343
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/morosophe/pseuds/morosophe
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Foggy Nelson, between episodes 9 and 10.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Clean Slate

After the struggle, after the phone call, after the wait for the mystery lady to come, after the assessment/debris removal/antisepticTOOMUCHBLOOD _stitches(breathe, no time for hysterics or vomit, don't look, wait, don't listen either_ )glue/gauze and tape/shots, instructions for care, throwing out the used supplies, gathering together and washing the stuff that can be reused (“I'm going to have to sneak these into the autoclave batch again,” she says, “I think the technician is so used to my flirting he might actually ask me out this time.” “That bad?” he asks, momentarily concerned. “Nah, if he's finally coming out of his shell, I can suggest that he actually ask Anna. They've been giving each other longing glances for _months_ , it's ridiculous, despite what TV would tell you most hospitals aren't actually soap operas.” “Ah,” he responds.), packing it all away, closing her kit, closing the door, leaving...

After all that, all Foggy wants to do is sit down. No, he wants to collapse, now that the adrenaline is ebbing, leaving the alcohol back in control. So, while her shoes are still clacking their way down the stairs to the exit, he does collapse. But that turns out as well-thought-out as any of his actions tonight (no, all day, he thinks, remembering his rash promises to Elena Cardenas; no, all his LIFE, he amends, thinking of how much he's trusted—no, he's not going there right now, he's NOT), because, instead of hitting the floor, as he should have, he lands on a piece of something that, when he pulls it out from underneath him, he recognizes as a leg from the coffee table.

Well. Isn't everything just a mess right now. Foggy wonders if Matt will be able to move around safely when he gets better, his apartment is in such a shambles. (Of course he can, Foggy wouldn't be all that surprised if the guy can just fly above it all, that's how little he knows about his supposed best friend, is he even blind at all?, no, deny, deny, DENY...) So Foggy starts picking up the mess around him and piling it near the door. Oddly enough, it reminds him of the work he got done with Karen at Elena's house, but that's something else he doesn't really want to think about, until all of a sudden, the real similarity hits him: here he is, doing a patch job on a wall that's going to be demolished soon enough anyhow. That's the state of his friendship with Matthew Murdock in metaphor, right there.

Still, Foggy is stubborn, and after checking on the man lying on the couch, he goes ahead and carts out all of the big chunks and little bits and pieces to the dumpster, then sweeps the floor for everything that remains, pretending that it's not the last ashes of what he'd thought was a lifelong friendship going into the trash.

Then he washes his face, grabs a beer, and waits for Matt to wake up.

**Author's Note:**

> In my head, Foggy Nelson is always trying to clean up the messes Stick has made in Matt Murdock's life. And he never knows that's what he's doing.
> 
> Please, feel free to tell me how wrong this is. I can't seem to tell how much of a mess is left in the apartment at the end of _Stick_ , compared to the end of _Speak of the Devil_ , _Nelson vs. Murdock_ , or even _The Path of the Righteous_ , when Karen visits with her monkey balloon. Comments on this, or anything else, are welcome.


End file.
